In a statement, NEHTA said the vendor PCEHR specifications and the initial release of the national infrastructure are scheduled for late March.

“This release will support the vendors that have begun working with NEHTA to test the infrastructure ahead of the July launch when all Australians who choose to can register for an eHealth record,” NEHTA said.

“Attendees will also see simulated demonstrations of the PCEHR and hear about the benefits expected to be achieved from the PCEHR and will leave with an understanding of what they need to do, concrete action plans and the NEHTA support and resources available to them.”

The “PCEHR: End to End” workshop is being held on Tuesday, March 27, and will be followed by the Health-e-Nation conference on March 28 and a day of workshops on March 29.

Health-e-Nation will be opened via video link by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of the Global eHealth Ambassador’s Program (GeHAP), which was launched by the International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH) late last year and facilitates international dissemination of knowledge and experience in telemedicine and eHealth.

Speakers include the secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA); Jane Halton, Jonathan Schaffer, managing director the eCleveland Clinic in the US; Mal Thatcher, CIO of Mater Health in Brisbane; and Steve Saunders and David Freemantle, two of the program managers with Wave 2 sites for the implementation of the PCEHR, who will discuss managing medications with eHealth records.

Three workshops will be held on Thursday, March 29 and will cover lessons from leading change and adoption, the opportunities online business models can deliver and software conformance and certification.